Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 24 March 2021 (HL14132), when they will announce theprocess for securing a private sector development partner for the Southern Railway Link to Heathrow Airport.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Government intends to provide an update alongside publication of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, which is expected shortly.

Local Government: Motor Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the support local authorities require to transfer widespread adoption of (1) electric, and (2) hydrogen, vehicles; and what financial assistance they have allocated to local authorities specifically to support this.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Building on the £1.9bn from Spending Review 2020, the Government has committed an additional £620m to support the transition to electric vehicles. This additional funding will support the rollout of charging infrastructure, with a particular focus on local, on-street residential charging, and targeted plug-in vehicle grants. The total funding committed by this government to vehicle grants and infrastructure is £2.5bn. Our upcoming electric vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy will soon be published, which will set out our vision to create a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. Local authorities have a key role in planning and enabling the delivery of EV chargepoints to meet the needs of their local communities and areas, with particular focus on supporting those who do not have access to off-street parking. We are working closer than ever with local authorities to encourage uptake of central government funding for EV chargepoints and ensure more widespread regional and local action in this space. The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme is available to all UK local authorities to help provide public chargepoints for their residents. This year, £20 million is available under the scheme to ensure more local authorities and residents can benefit. We will also launch our new Local EV Infrastructure Fund (LEVI). Details of how local EV charging will be supported will be announced in due course. Our bold and ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan sets out how we intend to reduce the UK’s transport emissions and forge a realistic pathway to net-zero by 2050. A key aspect of the plan is setting out the role different technologies like hydrogen fuel cells could play across all areas of transport, including HGVs, buses, rail, shipping and aviation. The Transport Decarbonisation Plan has recently been joined by the (BEIS-led) publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy, which brings together the UK’s hydrogen story, showcasing activity to-date, and setting out an action plan for the UK’s hydrogen economy moving forward, including in the transport sector. We are providing over £525 million funding for Zero Emission Buses (ZEBs) this Parliament. The Government announced the first areas to be awarded funding from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme fast track in October 2021. A second group of local transport authorities will be submitting proposals to secure funding through the standard process of the scheme. Funding will be awarded to successful areas in Spring 2022. £355 million of new funding was made available for ZEBs at the Spending Review. £150 million of this new funding is for 2021-22 and has been allocated to the ZEBRA scheme, bringing the total funding for ZEBRA to £270m. The remaining funding is available over the Spending Review period.The Government’s approach to the delivery of the ZEBs is technology neutral. Local areas have been able to apply for funding for both battery electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses depending on which technology is best suited to their local areas.  As of December 2021, there are fourteen publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK. Future Government support for the deployment of additional hydrogen refuelling infrastructure will be linked to specific research and development programmes, such as our pioneering  zero emission road freight trials that will demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell HGVs on UK roads. Our £23 million Hydrogen for Transport Programme (HTP) is increasing the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations.

Shipping: Ammonia

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to increase the number of ammonia-powered ships in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In March 2021, we launched the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK. The competition supports the design and development of clean maritime technologies, which includes ammonia, and explores green shipbuilding, placing the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vessels. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.

Bus Services: Vacancies

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported national shortage of bus drivers; and what plans they have to address any such shortage.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: My Department continues to work closely with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) and the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) to gather regular information. This allows us to analyse and assess, the current staffing levels and recruitment pipeline in the bus sector; informing the Department about the extent of the shortages across the country. To address the issue, the DVSA have provisioned up to 50,000 more test slots each year enabling more prospective bus drivers to take their tests. Additional measures to boost testing capacity include the ongoing recruitment of new vocational examiners, with additional Defence Driving Examiners from the MOD trained and redeployed to conduct civilian tests with the DVSA.

Shipping: Hydrogen

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toincrease the number of hydrogen-powered ships in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In March 2021, we launched the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK. The competition supports the design and development of clean maritime technologies, which includes hydrogen, and explores green shipbuilding, placing the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vessels. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.

Department for Education

Local Skills Improvement Plans

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make colleges jointly responsible for the development of local skills improvement plans (LSIPs).

Baroness Barran: The government plans to designate employer representative bodies to lead the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) through new powers in the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill. This will put employers firmly at the centre of local skills systems, working closely with colleges and other providers. They will be informed by key stakeholders to shape technical skills provision so that it better supports the local economy and boosts this country’s productivity.The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill also places a duty on colleges and other relevant providers to co-operate with employer representative bodies for the purposes of assisting them to develop LSIPs. This will ensure that colleges and other relevant providers share their knowledge and experience to directly inform the development of these plans and help ensure they are evidence-based, credible, and actionable.

Education: Hearing Impairment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Consortium for Research in Deaf Education reportEducation provision for deaf children in England 2020/21, published in 2021; and what plans they have to encourage teaching staff to hold a Level 3 Certificate in British Sign Language.

Baroness Barran: The department is determined that all children and young people, including those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, receive the support they need to succeed in their education. Those teaching classes of children with sensory impairment must hold an appropriate qualification approved by the Secretary of State for Education. Teachers working in an advisory role to support such pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification.Wider decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. This may include further training and development relating to British Sign Language.All teachers in local authority-maintained schools or non-maintained special schools in England are required to hold qualified teacher status, which is awarded upon successful completion of an initial teacher training (ITT) course.All ITT courses must be designed to allow trainees to meet the teachers' standards, including standard 5, which states that teachers should “adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils”. Standard 5 is clear that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The teachers’ standards are available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards.

Qualifications

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they planto end the moratorium on the consideration of new qualifications for funding approval; and if so, when.

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of effect of the moratorium on the consideration of new qualifications for funding approval on (1) innovation in the provision of (a) technical, and (b) vocational qualifications, and (2) the ability of awarding organisations to adapt to the needs of (i) learners, and (ii) employers.

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many qualifications have been (1) received, and (2) approved, since 1 September 2020 under Exemption type 3: Qualifications in response to economic need.

Baroness Barran: The moratorium on approving new qualifications at level 3 and below for public funding for students aged 16 and over in England was introduced in September 2020. It was introduced for a period of three years, subject to annual review, and is intended to stabilise the publicly funded qualifications offer before wider reform is implemented. There are two exemptions to the moratorium. These are for qualifications developed in response to economic need and where qualification content has been updated to keep it relevant. Qualifications which meet these two exemption criteria continue to be approved for funding. The Education, Skills and Funding Agency is due to confirm ongoing arrangements linked to the moratorium in March 2022. The current moratorium is not intended to constrain the design or delivery of new qualifications where they meet the exemption criteria. The moratorium exemption criteria allow awarding organisations to design qualifications in response to two situations. The first is employer need, for instance in response to regional skills need or a new job role. The second is to meet learner need, for instance ensuring the content of the qualification the student is undertaking remains relevant and current. These criteria should not prohibit awarding organisations in being innovative in how they design qualifications to meet new skills needs or update their qualifications to ensure students are undertaking relevant content. The current moratorium allows awarding organisations to submit a new qualification for funding approval where it has been designed in response to economic need (this is known as a type 3 exemption). Qualifications submitted under this exemption may be approved where appropriate evidence of economic need is submitted, and the qualification meets all other approval criteria. Since the start of the moratorium, 40 qualifications have been submitted under the exemption type 3 criteria and 16 have been approved.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nigeria: Security

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Nigeria following the attack on the Galkogo community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on 21 February.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in southern Kaduna, Nigeria, following the reported abductions of at least 26 people in three separate attacks between 14 and 15 February.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is concerned about rising insecurity across Nigeria and we condemn all incidents of intercommunal violence, including in the Middle Belt. This violence has a devastating impact on both Christian and Muslim communities. While religious identity is a factor in some incidents of intercommunal violence, we assess that the root causes of violence in the Middle Belt frequently relate to resource competition and criminality, as well as historical and ongoing inter-communal grievances. Officials at our High Commission in Abuja met officials from the Niger State Government on 23 February to discuss a range of security matters, including the attacks in Shiroro. We regularly raise insecurity and human rights in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean raised rising insecurity and its impact on the Nigerian people with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors during her recent visit to Nigeria. She also met faith leaders, civil society and international organisations working in states affected by violence. Earlier this month, at the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean also held productive discussions with the Nigerian National Security Adviser on the complexity of Nigeria's security situation. At the dialogue, the UK and Nigeria agreed on areas of future cooperation to respond to shared threats, and on our support to Nigeria to tackle a range of security challenges. We continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all.

Nigeria: Visits Abroad

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, during her visit to the country on 21 February, the Minister for Africa (1) visited the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, and (2) met victims of violence there.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Access to the region is limited due to security concerns, however, the Minister was able to meet with a range of interlocutors in Abuja, including faith and NGO leaders, who are supporting peace efforts in Nigeria's Middle Belt. The Minister heard a range of views on the differing and complex causes of conflicts in the region, and discussed the impact on affected communities. Causes include systematic governance failings, and competition over land and resources. Ethnic and religious tensions also play a role.

Mali: Peacekeeping Operations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK troops are deployed in Mali; what plans they have to reconsider the (1) deployment of the UK Task Group in Mali, and (2) UK forces contributing through the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mal; and what assessment they have made of the threat posed by extremists in (a) Mali, and (b) across the Sahel, in particular the Islamic State of the Greater Sahel.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Of the c.14,500 personnel that make up the UN Peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the UK deploys 300 troops. Separately, we also deploy four Chinook helicopters with around 100 troops providing logistical support to the French counter-terrorism Operation Barkhane. We have been part of Operation BARKHANE since July 2018. As the French mission in Mali concludes, so will the UK's contribution to it. We are reviewing our deployment to the UN Peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean has expressed concern about the increasing restrictions on UN Peacekeeping and international forces in Mali, and has urged all partners to continue working together to protect and support a better future for the Malian people.

Nigeria: Elections

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the integrity of elections in Nigeria; and what discussions they have held, if any, with the President of Nigeria about the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2022.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK remains committed to supporting the democratic process in Nigeria, and we continue to stress the importance of free and fair elections ahead of the 2023 presidential race. We warmly welcome the signing of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law on 25 February. We assess that this will help contribute to free, credible and peaceful elections in Nigeria.The UK continues to work with civil society and the Independent National Electoral Commission to strengthen the integrity of elections in Nigeria. On 21 February the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Vicky Ford MP, met with officials from the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission to discuss the vital role a strong and independent electoral commission will play in delivering credible and transparent 2023 elections. Minister Ford also raised elections with the Vice President during her visit, and expressed the UK Government's wish to see a strong legal framework in place well ahead of elections.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of intimidation and violence perpetrated by (1) ZANU-PF activists, and (2) the Zimbabwe Republic Police, during the current election campaigns; and what representations they have made to the government of that country regarding video footage of violence against protestors by police officers at Harare Central Police Station.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. This includes a lack of accountability for human rights violations, including those responsible for the death of protestors in August 2018 and January 2019, at the hands of the security forces. We are also aware of recent reports of police brutality and efforts to frustrate the opposition's right to free assembly. While the UK welcomes steps to legislate for an Independent Complaints Commission, the test will be its ability to act independently and effectively.We have been clear that we want to see the Government of Zimbabwe meet its international and domestic obligations by respecting the rule of law and safeguarding human rights. The Minister for Africa emphasised these messages when she spoke to President Mnangagwa on 1 November 2021 at COP26 and our Ambassador in Harare continues to raise concerns about human rights in her meetings with senior government ministers and officials. Alongside significant development assistance to help ordinary Zimbabweans, we continue to support civil society organisations focused on human rights.

Nigeria: Elections

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Irigwe Development Association that 24,000 voters from 16 communities in Plateau state, Nigeria, may not be able to vote in upcoming elections in the Bassa Local Government Area after being displaced by violence.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government remains concerned by insecurity across Nigeria. The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean met with officials at the Independent National Electoral Commission, where she discussed the importance of free, fair and safe electoral process in Nigeria, including for the 2023 elections. The Minister also met with religious leaders and officials from the Plateau State peace-building agency, to discuss a range of issues, including social inclusion and the important of good governance and democracy. The Minister has asked officials to follow-up on the situation in the Bassa local government area.We continue to raise insecurity and human rights in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government. Earlier this month, at the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, the Minister for Africa held productive discussions with the Nigerian National Security Adviser on Nigeria's security situation. The Minister also raised rising insecurity and its impact on the Nigerian people during her recent visit with the Vice-President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors. Through our Security and Defence Partnership with Nigeria, the UK and Nigeria are working together to respond to shared threats, and to support Nigeria to tackle a range of security challenges.

Burundi: Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the current level of human rightsprotection in Burundi.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government welcomes steps taken by the Government of Burundi over the past 18 months, which demonstrate greater commitment to human rights including prisoner releases and engagement with some media outlets. However we remain concerned by reports of human rights violations and abuses being committed against the political opposition and critical voices. We are also concerned about the treatment of human rights defenders in Burundi. Our non-resident Ambassador to Burundi discussed human rights with the Government of Burundi and non-governmental actors when he visited the country in January. We will continue to monitor developments and advocate for improved human rights in Burundi through the British Embassy Liaison Office in Bujumbura and through our network of partners.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medical Records: Data Protection

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much longer temporary data sharing relaxations implemented in April 2020 will continue; and what criteria they are using to assess when the COVID-19 pandemic "emergency period" has come to an end, for the purposes of such data sharing changes.

Lord Kamall: Notices under The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 to support the transfer of data for COVID-19 purposes are due to expire on 30 June 2022. The COVID-19 Public Health Directions to NHS Digital will continue, reviewed annually to ascertain if there remains a public health need for information systems to collect data on COVID-19.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherrecent decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS in England, what steps they will take (1) to develop a definition of innovationthat differentiates transformative technologies, and (2) to consult on such a definition.

Lord Kamall: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has embedded relevant considerations for innovative technologies throughout its health technology evaluations. NICE has not defined innovation in its updated methods and processes manual for health technology assessments. However, NICE will work with other partners from the Accelerated Access Collaborative to develop a definition of ‘disruptive technologies’. NICE keeps its methods and processes under review and will consult with stakeholders on any proposed changes.

Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to introduce preventative antibody therapies to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 for clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.

Lord Kamall: The RAPID C-19 collaboration has enabled multi-agency oversight of national and international trial evidence as it emerges for COVID-19 therapies in potential treatment and prophylactic indications. The RAPID C-19 collaboration actively reviews all promising compounds to assess whether these should be considered for potential use in the National Health Service. The evidence has most strongly supported treatment rather than prophylaxis. The evidence on preventative use will continue to be reviewed for efficacy and safety.

Treasury

Tickets: VAT

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a cultural VAT rate of five per cent on ticket sales.

Baroness Penn: The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July 2020 to support the cash flow and viability of around 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors. As announced at Spring Budget 2021, the Government extended the 5 per cent temporary reduced rate of VAT for the tourism and hospitality sectors until the end of September 2021. On 1 October 2021, a new reduced rate of 12.5 per cent was introduced for these goods and services to help ease affected businesses back to the standard rate. The sector can continue to benefit from this relief until 31 March 2022. The Government has been clear that the reduced rate of VAT for tourism and hospitality is a temporary measure designed to support the sectors that have been severely affected by COVID-19. It is appropriate that as restrictions are lifted and demand for goods and services in these sectors increases, the temporary tax reliefs are first reduced, and then removed, in order to rebuild and strengthen the public finances. This relief has cost over £8 billion and, whilst all taxes are kept under review, there are no plans to introduce a 5 per cent VAT rate for ticket sales.

Tractors: Red Diesel

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on charitable activity in the agricultural sector that will result from HMRC’s decision to ban the use of red diesel in tractors for charity events from 1 April.

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered the impact on the (1) farming community, and (2) charitable sector, of the requirement from 1 April for farmers to drain tractor tanks and purge lines before taking part in (a) charity tractor events, and (b) community events.

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will replace the revenue lost by charities as a result of HMRC's decision to ban the use of red diesel in tractors for charity events from 1 April.

Baroness Penn: The Chancellor confirmed at Spring Budget 2021 that the Government will remove the entitlement to use red diesel for most uses from April 2022, other than for defined agricultural purposes and a limited number of other uses. This will help to ensure fairness between the different users of diesel fuels and that the tax system incentivises the development and adoption of greener alternative technologies. Under the existing rules, agricultural vehicles, such as tractors, are currently entitled to run on rebated fuel when using public roads only for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture and forestry, as well as cutting verges and hedges that border a road, clearing snow and gritting. Agricultural tractors will remain entitled to run on rebated fuel on public roads after April 2022 for these specific purposes only, as well as for purposes relating to fish farming and for clearing or otherwise dealing with flooding. The activities accepted as purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture and forestry are defined in HMRC Excise Notice 75.